Method of making variegated rubber



Nov. 10,1925. `1,560,862-

F. T. ROBERTS Y Q METHOD OF MAK-ING VARIEGATED RUBBER Nov. 410,1-1925. 1,560,862 f F. T. ROBERTS METHOD MAKING VARIEGATED RUBBER Filed sept. 1:5, 1920 j 2 sheets-fsm `:a

Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

muren sTAT-E` 1,560,362 PATENT OFFICE.

rannfrnomas nonnn'rs, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

METHOD OF MAKING VABIEGATED BUBBEB.

.Application led September 18, 1920. Serial No. 409,846.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED THoMAs Ro- ERTs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the count7 of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Methods of Making Variegated-zv Rubber, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact delcolors from which articles may be manufactured, which will have a pleasing variegated effect.

In my process I exhaust the air between the successive sheets of rubber so that a .compact block is obtained and there is an eii'ective uniting of each sheet to the adjacent one. When such a block is sliced crosswise a sheet of rubber is obtained wherein the grain of the rubbr is on edge rather than atwise. This gives a sheet which for many.

' classes Vof work has advantages, among which may be mentioned that the sheet will stretch equally in all directions. Various effects may be Obtained by building up the v block from rubbers of different grades, and

as stated a pronounced striped appearance may be produced by using di'erent colors for the original sheets.

Broadly stated my process comprises su erimposing and-uniting the sheets while ex iausting the air` between them to form a block and thereafter cutting the block transversely. In performing such processI prefer to place a plurality of' superimposed layers or pieces of rubber in a chamber; then close the chamber in an air-tight manner; then exhaust the air from the'chamber while mechanically pressing the sheets together,` and inally opening the chamber and slicingthe block transversely.

The drawings illustrate my invention by,

showing apparatus which may be employed in carrying it out, and showing the product in various stages. Fig. 1 is' a vertical section of a machine for pressing the layers while exhausting the air between them; Fig. 2 is a pers ective of a machine ,for slicing the formed lock; Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary views illustrating the laminations respectively before and after the exhaustion of air; Fig. 5 is a view of the finished sheet; Fig. 6 is aperspective of a hollow rattle formed of such variegated sheets.

In Fig. 1 in the drawings 20 indicates the base of a press member and extending from this base 2O I have shown a post 23 andl forming an extension of the post a shoulder or head 24. A plurality ofl standards 25 are shown as extending upwardly from the head 24, and the standards support at their upper ends a head 26. The post is shown provided with a plurality of chambers 30 and 31, the upper of which has p mounted therein, for reciprocation, a plunger 33. A tight joint is aiorded between the plunger and the head 24 by means ofy packing 36 which may be suitably held in place as shown.

A receptacle member 40 may be carried by vthe upper end of the plunger, the side walls of the receptacle being shown as enlarged adjacent the upper end thereof as shown at 41 and provided with a gasket 42,

which, in operative position, contacts withand makes a pneumatic seal with the lower face of the head 26, as clearl shown in Iig.

1.. The container-like mem er 40v may be provided with lugs 44 shown as apertured to fit and slide on the rods 25.

The plunger 33 is indicatedas hollow, and shown as extending thru the center thereof is a second plunger 46. This latter plunger is shown as communicating with the lower chamber in the post 23, suitable packing l being provided at 48 to secure a tight fit.

To operate the plungers suitable -uid pressure means may be employed. I have shown at 50 a supply and discharge pipe for the upper chamber which operates the outer plunger. The pipe 50 may be provided with a two-way valve, shown at 51, whereby the plunger-operating fluid may be supplied from the pipe 53 or discharged thru the pipe 54. I have shown at 56 a supply and discharge pipe for the inner plunger, and a valve 57 which controls the supply and discharge for the pipe 56.

A pipe 57 connected to a vacuum-producing means is shown as controlled by the valve 58 and may -be connected by means of a flexible coupling 59 withy the container' l p member 40.

The upper portion of the plunger 46 is shown as provided with a substantially flat upper platen 60 which may be parallel to the lower portion of 'the head member 26 with which the gasket carried by the container member 41 contacts. .In its upper position the plunger 48 causes the container 41, in. conjunction with the head, to form a chamber from which the air may be ex-l hausted'thru theconnection to the 4vacuumproducing means, controlled by the valveV '48. The head 26 is shown as having a pressure gauge 61 v carried thereby and in communication with the chamber formed bythe container member 41. l

In F ig.v2 I have shown a means for cutting sheets of rubber from, a block. A base memberl 70 is shown as having 'a standard 71 thereon, on Whichis supported a suitable bearing. 72, 'inwhich is a shaft carrying a rotary knife 7 3. The shaft may be rotated by a belt on the pulley 74. The base 70 maybe provided with ribs 76, each adapted to co-operate with a channel formed by a pair of similar ribs upon a table 75'. The' l I table 75, which may carry the block of rubberis thus mounted to slide back and forth 4 on the base '70.

In carrying out my method, I place upon the platen 60 a plurality of sheets of rubber 8O or similar stock having ytheir surfaces softened by benzole or with rubberV adhesive applied thereto. These sheets have 4distinc- 1 tive characteristics and are arranged accord'- l After the sheets have been arranged 'as deing to themanner in which it is desired 'that the nished sheet may appear. In Fig.

3 I have shown a numberof such superimposed sheets having the air pockets therebetween 81, which exists when sheets are laid one upon the other.

sired-the valve 51 is operated to cause the plunger 33 to move against the lower face of the head 26 and thus provide a closed chamber 69. rIfhe valve 58 is next operated to establish communication between the suc- Vtion pipe 57 and the chamber 69, and therecurely united to form a solid block of rubber having laminations or striations of different characteristics.

this figure it will be'noted that all the air pockets have been removed.

In Fig. 4 I have, 'shown a fragment of a block of rubber. In

One of the next steps in my process is to take a block and cut therefrom vsheets o r slices. The sheets or slices are cut so as to intersect two or more laminations ,or Striations and thereby produce a sheet having the distinctive characteristics of the individual sheets. l p' In slicing the block with almachine Such as shownin Fig. 2, the block is placed upon the table 7 5 and the latter moved towards 75 the knife 73. thickness desireddepending upon the purpose for which the material is desired.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a sheet of the variegated stock which has been cut from a block 80, and has the corresponding stripes The variegated sheet stock may be used in any manufacture desired. I find it very convenient to employ it inl a process where sheet yrubber isv pneumatically seated in mold cavities, tw'o portions of such seated .stock being then joined to form a complete' article; for4 example, after'the manner of my Patent No. 1,201,502, granted October 1,7, 1916. In Fig. 6 I have shown a childs rattle, which may be made by such process, from avariegated sheet such as shown in' Fig. 5, the stripes 80b-being shown as running around the article. Having thus described my invention, I

claim 1. The method of making variegated rubber which comprises lplacing layers of different colors upon a member, causing a chamber to be formed about said member and layers, exhausting the airA from the` chamber, thereafter pressing the layers together and slicing the block so formed across the'layers to form a sheet having Vportions of 105 such layers as striations therein. f 4 c 2. The method of making sheets of varie- 'gated rubber which comprises associatin a plurality of portions of rubber, removing the air from between the portions and uniti ing. them to form a solid block, and thereafter slicing acrossy the block through the plurality of portions to form a variegated sheet, the portions forming the sheet hav ing the same relation one with the other that they had in the original block.

3. The method oi making str-iated rubber comprising superimposing layers of different characteristics, uniting them by lpressure While exhausting the air between them to form a block, and thereafter cutting the block transversely. 4. The method of making a sheet of varievgated rubber, which comprises superimposing a plurality of layers of dierent colors one upon the other, causing a vacuum to be produced about the layers, uniting tle layvers to form a block, and thereafterslicing across the block to form a sheet.

5. The method'of making a sheet of rubno The slice 85 may be of any "-"`J ber comprising uniting by mechanical pressure and in an atmosphere of reduced air pressure a plurality of pieces of rubber having different characteristics to' form a block` and then cutting the block across the pieces to f orm sheets.

6. The method of making a sheet of variegated rubber comprising uniting in a vacuum by pressure a plurality of pieces of rubber having different color characteristics to form a block and then cutting the block to form sheets having portions of such layers as striations therein.

7. The method of making variegated sheet rubber comprising placing a plurality of superimposed layers or pieces of rubber in a chamber, closing the chamber in an airtight manner, exhausting the air from the chamber while mechanically pressing the sheets together, and finally opening the chamber and slicing the block transversely of the layers. l

`8. lThe method vof making sheets of rubber which comprises associating a plurality of portions of rubber, exhausting the air from between such portions by suction and uniting them by pressure to form a. solid block and thereafter slicing across the block through the plurality of portions to form a sheet, the portions forming the produced sheet having the same relation .one with the other that they had in the block.

9. The method of making sheet rubber comprising superimposing layers of rubber,

exhausting the air by suction between them and uniting them by mechanical pressure,

'i and thereafter cutting `the block ltransversely.

10. The method of making sheet rubber comprising superimposing layers of rubber, causing a vacuum to bevproduced about the lblocks so. formed, pressing the layers together, and thereafter slicing across the block. y

1'1. The method'bf making sheet rubber comprising uniting by mechanicalV pressure and in an atmosphere of reduced air ressure a plurality of sheets of rubber to gorm .a block, and then 'cutting the block crosswise into sheets.

12. The method of making sheet rubber comprising vsuperimposing layers of sheet,

exposed to a surrounding lpartial vacuum, y

and thereafter cutting such mass orosswise intoithin sheets.-

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my signature.

FRED THOMAS, ROBERTS. 

